[Update: Fix in works] YouTube Premium is pushing ads on Google Chromecast & other platforms

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on November 18, 2020) follows:

Google has always been dedicated to simplifying your online life. The company offers a myriad of products that range from email and cloud storage to video game streaming and digital navigation maps. If you allow it, the search giant can even take over your TV with the help of Chromecast.

With Google Chromecast, all you need is to plug it into your TV, connect to a strong Wi-Fi network, and in a few minutes you’ll be streaming Netflix, HBO, Spotify, YouTube and more from your smartphone to the TV.

Now, for months, those who use Google Chromecast to cast videos from YouTube Premium to their TVs have been experiencing a strange issue where the videos are accompanied by ads, you know, just like the free version.

The ultimate reason one pays for YouTube Premium is to get an ad-free experience. While affected subscribers say they see no ads when watching videos on YouTube Premium through other devices, ads spring into life when the videos are cast to a TV via Google Chromecast.

At the time, a Google Community Specialist responded and said the issue had been raised to the team and it was being investigated.

We’ve had a few reports from users with YouTube premium experiencing the same issue. This concern has been raised to the team, and we’re investigating as we speak. I’ll do my best to keep you posted with the latest updates.
Source

Months after the alleged investigations kicked off, the issue was raised by a couple of tweeps, but there was no real solution to it whatsoever.

@TeamYouTube Uhm I got YouTube Premium for the last few weeks but I seem to still be getting ads when playing YouTube on my Chromecast, is this supposed to happen??
Source

Fast forward to today, this same issue is still affecting YouTube Premium subscribers casting videos to a TV using Google Chromecast. While this Google support thread has multiple cases of affected people until hours ago, someone also created another thread, but you’d rather use the other one.

Whether Google will respond and address the issue this time around is anyone’s guess, but we do hope it does soon. We will keep an eye on the story and let you know if and when the bug is fixed.

Update 1 (November 25)

It seems that YouTube Premium users viewing videos on their smart TVs are also being served ads while watching videos. Moreover, a user has also shared an image showing a large banner ad which takes up half the screen. YouTube has not made any comment on the matter.

Update 2 (March 18, 2021)

According to Team YouTube on Twitter, developers are aware of the issue where Premium users are seeing ads -- an issue that has been ongoing for quite some time -- and is working on a fix.

Thanks for sending this our way – we're aware of the issue of ads showing up on YouTube Premium and we're currently working on a fix.
Source

NOTE: We have more Google-related coverage here.

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